A Labour councillor from the East Marsh has defected from the party and joined the Liberal Democrat Party, but not for the reasons that others have been leaving.

Councillor Terry Walker announced on Friday that he has left the Labour Party, which he has been a member of for decades, in order to join up with his fellow East Marsh councillors who are also Lib Dems.

He says that he has not made the decision due to disagreements with his former party, and hopes to work closely with them in the future. But he felt that as his fellow ward councillors were Lib Dems, if he joined the party then they would be able to work even closer together for the good of the community.

Councillor Walker, who was born and bred on Oxford Street in the East Marsh, said that he was excited to form an even closer working relationship with fellow ward councillors Kay Rudd and Steve Beasant.

He said: "While I have been a member of the Labour Party, I have always worked closely with my fellow ward councillors Kay and Steve, and this move is really about making that relationship even stronger for the benefit of the residents of the East Marsh.

"This is about putting the community first and working for them.

"There are often times within the council you see councillors who think that they are the bee's knees, but they have no idea what the problems are that their residents are having to deal with on a daily basis. That is not what it is like with Kay and Steve, who know the East Marsh inside out.

"When you do right by your residents then the area embraces you."

The councillors say they have always worked closely together. Here they are perched on top of a hydraulic platform as they looked over the abandoned buildings on Eleanor Street.

Councillor Kay Rudd welcomed Terry to the party saying: "As the three councillors in the East Marsh, we have always worked very closely together for our residents, and this move will only allow us to do even better for them.

"This hasn't come from a policy disagreement, as we feel that our policies and that of Labour run parallel."

Councillor Beasant felt that Terry would be a great addition to the party, bringing a wealth of knowledge that will prove very useful.

He said: "Terry has a wealth of knowledge and skills that we will be a brilliant addition to our Liberal Democrat team.

"He was formerly a portfolio holder for tourism in the Grimsby Borough Council, which is an area of expertise that we just do not have.

"While there are many challenges ahead of us in the East Marsh, they can be met through good partnerships and working together, and Terry joining our group will only strengthen our ability to help residents and deliver what is most important to them."

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